“He’s putting too much pressure on you,” she argued. Would she ever feel like Noah was with her for her? “Maybe we need to step back and Sebastian and I need to work this out.” She was shocked she got those words past her throat without crying.
“I swear to God you two are like talking to rocks. I love you. I love him. I’d love you if he wasn’t in the picture, but he is and you two are a team. You come together, you’re one, and I’m good with that. What more do I have to do to get you to understand that? To believe me?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I want to believe it so much.”
“Then do it. I’ve never given you any reason not to. Sebastian told me that you love me for who I am,” he said.
“Of course I do. Why wouldn’t you know that?”
“Because I’ve spent a lot of time in my life with people that wanted more out of me or I couldn’t be who they wanted.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Even though he’d told her before. She’d forgotten about it because in her eyes he was a successful man. A role model for kids and other adults alike. In her mind he was just about perfect and that was why she had so much doubt he wanted to be with her. Her life was anything but perfect.
“I can see where Sebastian feels the way he does. It’s at a smaller level, but it’s hard when you’ve been scratched by a cat to put your hand near one again.”
“I know,” she said. “You know all about my past. You know how hard it has been for me to find someone that would accept Sebastian. You accept him and I have to remind myself that you’re right. We’re a team and you love us both. You seem to know how to handle him better than me.”
“I’ve had more practice with snot-nosed kids than you,” he said. “I want you here all the time. Both of you. I know if I ask you to move in with me you’re going to say no. Why?”
“It’s too early,” she said. “Sebastian’s still young and he is so attached to you. If we moved in and things didn’t work out...I don’t want him hurt again. He’s been hurt so much in life.”
“I think you have been too,” he said.
“We’ve established we all have been.”
“I just want you to know that I’m not going anywhere. That I love you and him together. And I want you here all the time. I’ll leave it in your hands to decide when the time is right.”
“I’ll know when the time is right,” she said back with a big smile.
“And you’re not going to tell me when that is, are you?”
“Why make it easy for you?” she said, laughing and feeling like Noah might have just broken the shell around her heart.
“Why indeed?” he said, shaking his head.
Epilogue
“I’ve never had prime rib before,” Sebastian said when they pulled into his parents’ house on Easter morning.
“You’re in for a treat today,” he said. “My mother makes the best prime rib. You’re going to meet my Aunt Diane and Uncle Grant and all my cousins and their fiancées.”
“So I get to meet them before Sam’s wedding?” Sebastian asked. “I’ve never been to a wedding before. Do I really need to wear a suit?”
“You do need to wear a suit. My cousins are just like my siblings. You’ll fit right in with everyone.”
“They are great people,” Paige said when she got out of the car. “Grab the wine from the back, will you?”
“If you could bake you could have brought a dessert instead of buying wine.”
“Are you ever going to let up on the food?” she asked her nephew.
“Nope. I like to eat.”
“Payton is bringing cookies and not many can beat them,” Noah said. “And my aunt and mother love to bake too. Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry in the Fierce house.”
When everyone was sitting around the large family room talking and relaxing, Noah left the room and came back with two Easter baskets.
“You shouldn’t have,” Wyatt said reaching for it.
“Back off. You don’t get one since you ate all the candy out of mine and Drake’s that one year. We didn’t even get one piece.”
Wyatt laughed. “That’s because Jade hid hers and I was hungry. Mom didn’t give us much candy that year.”
“And that’s the reason,” his mother said.
“Neither of these are for you,” he said. “This one is for Paige, she gets hers first.”
“Why her?” Sebastian asked. “I’m the only kid here.”
“It will all make sense when it’s done,” he said.
Paige took the basket and looked around at the chocolate and then laughed at a cookbook. “I’m never going to live this down. I don’t need to cook when you and Sebastian do it so well.”
“I’ll teach you anything you want to know,” his mother said, grinning.
“Thank you, Carolyn.”
“You can give Sebastian his now. This was very thoughtful of you.”
“Noah’s eye is twitching,” Drake said. “She doesn’t get it.”
“Get what?” she asked.
“What is that one piece of chocolate in the shape of?” Drake asked her. Drake was the only one that knew what was going on today. Well, Kara probably knew too.
“Oh my God. Is this a ring?”
“You gave her a chocolate ring,” Jade said. “I don’t know if that is funny or sweet.”
“Sweet,” Noah said. “Open it and break it in half.”
All the eyes in the room were on Paige. Even Sebastian jumped up and moved closer. “Give it to me. I’ll break it for you.”
“No,” Paige said, turning her back to avoid Sebastian’s hand. She ripped the cellophane off, took the ring and broke a piece off and out fell the real thing.
“I knew it,” his mother shouted.
“Shh,” his father said. “Just watch.”
“Paige Parker I want you to move in with me and you won’t. You keep telling me you’ll know when the time is right. I’m hoping that time is now. That you’ll agree to be my wife and you and Sebastian will move in and we can be a family.”
“Yes!” she said, standing up and hugging him.
He gave her a kiss and then said, “Okay, it’s Sebastian’s turn.”
“Is there a ring in my basket too?” he asked, causing the room to start laughing.
“Something better,” he said, handing it over. “There are words in there. Open it up and read it.”
Sebastian lifted the sheet of paper that was folded in half and opened it. “These are adoption papers? You want to adopt me?”
He heard his mother gasp and then start to sniffle. “I do. The minute Paige and I are married, I’m filing them. If you want to be my son. Do you want to be a Fierce too?”
“Shit yeah!” he said, standing up and hugging him. “I knew setting you two up was the right thing.”
“Noah,” Jade said. “That is definitely the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I might not be the firstborn of the family, but I’m giving Mom and Dad the first grandchild. None of you can top that.”
* * *
“Wow. That was something,” Carolyn said to Garrett when everyone had left for the day. “I had no clue he was going to propose today. Or even this soon.”
“It was easy to see how much they love each other. The three of them together have this bond that can’t be broken.”
“I know. I told you all along they would be perfect for each other.”
“You had a hard time not correcting Sebastian on who set them up. Admit it.”
“I did but I’ll let him have his moment. You and I know who did all the work.”
Garrett shook his head. “We’ll let you take this one home.”
“And we are instant grandparents too. Imagine that.”
“He did good, our Noah. I’m proud of him,” Garrett said.
“We’ve always been proud of our children.”
“And now we have to figure out what to do about Wyatt.”
“It’s sta
rting. I know it is. Give it time.”
“Two down and two to go. Let’s hope you’re right with this one too.”
“I’m always right,” she said.
“You are. And that’s what I love about you!”
To be continued for Wyatt Fierce.
The Road Series-See where it all started!!
Lucas and Brooke’s Story- Road to Recovery
Jack and Cori’s Story – Road to Redemption
Mac and Beth’s Story- Road to Reality
Ryan and Kaitlin’s Story- Road to Reason
The All Series
William and Isabel’s Story — All for Love
Ben and Presley’s Story – All or Nothing
Phil and Sophia’s Story – All of Me
Alec and Brynn’s Story – All the Way
Sean and Carly’s Story — All I Want
Drew and Jordyn’s Story— All My Love
Finn and Olivia’s Story—All About You
Landon Barber and Kristen Reid- All Of Us
The Lake Placid Series
Nick Buchanan and Mallory Denning – Second Chance
Max Hamilton and Quinn Baker – Give Me A Chance
Caleb Ryder and Celeste McGuire – Our Chance
Cole McGuire and Rene Buchanan – Take A Chance
Zach Monroe and Amber Deacon- Deserve A Chance
Trevor Miles and Riley Hamilton – Last Chance
Matt Winters and Dena Hall- Another Chance
Logan Taylor and Kennedy Miles- It’s My Chance
The Fierce Five Series
Gavin Fierce and Jolene O’Malley- How Gavin Stole Christmas
Brody Fierce and Aimee Reed - Brody
Aiden Fierce and Nic Moretti- Aiden
Mason Fierce and Jessica Corning- Mason
Cade Fierce and Alex Marshall - Cade
Ella Fierce and Travis McKinley- Ella
Fierce Family
Sam Fierce and Dani Rhodes- Sam
Bryce Fierce and Payton Davies - Bryce
Noah Fierce and Paige Parker - Noah
Wyatt Fierce and Adriana Lopez – Wyatt
Love Collection
Vin Steele and Piper Fielding – Secret Love
Jared Hawk and Shelby McDonald – True Love
Erik McMann and Sheldon Case – Finding Love
Connor Landers and Melissa Mahoney- Beach Love
Ian Price and Cam Mason- Intense Love
Liam Sullivan and Ali Rogers - Autumn Love
Owen Taylor and Jill Duncan - Holiday Love
Chase Martin and Noelle Bennett - Christmas Love
Zeke Collins and Kendall Hendricks - Winter Love
Troy Walker and Meena Dawson – Chasing Love
Jace Stratton and Lauren Towne - First Love
Gabe Richards and Leah Morrison - Forever Love
Blake Wilson and Gemma Anderson – Simply Love
Brendan St. Nicholas and Holly Lane – Gifts of Love
Paradise Place
Josh Turner and Ruby Gentile – Cupid’s Quest
Harris Walker and Kaelyn Butler – Change Up
Philip Aire and Blair McKay- Starting Over
Where to find Natalie Ann
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